Moon and Stars
by Sleep Walking Chicken
Summary: [RLSB] For the 5 sense LJ community, a series of one shots. Surrender your senses and dive into everything you desire. Each chapter stands alone and highlights one of the senses. COMPLETE
1. Blue Smoke

**Moon and Stars**

**Blue Smoke**  
_Theme: Smell_  
Summary: MWPP-era, In which Sirius smokes and Remus makes a fool of himself.  
Warning: Sirius smokes cigarettes in this story, but I don't agree with smoking. But they were in school during the seventies, when it wasn't as loathed as it is now. Yeah.  
Note: This is my first HP story, so please be gentle.

---

Remus darted out of the library, tucking his unfinished assignments into his book bag. The library was closed for the night, and Madam Pince had finally gotten around to shooing the werewolf away. It was late, and the candles lining the walls did little to light the corridors as Remus retreated from the library and trekked off towards the Gryffindor common room.

He'd been so set on finishing his potions essay for Slughorn that he hadn't watched the time tick away until he was finally the last one in the library. Not that he could very well blame anyone for not being in the library on a Friday night. Remus seemed to be the only student, minus a couple Ravenclaws, who saw the beneficial outcomes of finishing an essay early.

"I'll just finish it tomorrow after breakfast," Remus told himself. He'd have enough time to squeeze in between breakfast and the Quidditch match against Hufflepuff and Gryffindor tomorrow. He wasn't truly as captivated by the sport as his fellow peers, but Remus had to admit that there was a certain charm about the sport. He'd even accompany Sirius and James to Quidditch practice, and the two said boys were convinced that Moony was growing fond of the sport. Of course, Remus never betrayed the true reason he accompanied the two boys down to the pitch, and knew that Sirius didn't need _that _kind of an inflation of his ego.

Remus shook his head distantly and sighed, inhaling the smell of and old, haunted castle—for it truly did have its own distinct smell. He climbed up a flight of steps and exhaled again, rubbing his forehead lightly as if trying to banish a headache.

It was then that Remus realized he was wandering. He frowned at the unfamiliar hallway and watched as a Hogwarts' ghost meandered by before disappearing through the wall. Smiling wryly and pulling his book bag a bit higher up his shoulder, Remus tried to make out where it was he was going.

Frowning, he turned the corner and was nearly bombarded by a rather foul scent. Wrinkling his nose, the prefect paused in his journey back to the Gryffindor tower to try and make out the smell. As he progressed forward, the scent steadily grew and almost caused Remus' eyes to water.

He peered around the corer, almost expecting to see Peeves preparing havoc for unsuspecting first years the following morning when he realized that Sirius Black was tucked away behind a statue of a rather gruesome looking witch, a small curl of blue smoke ascending towards the ceiling.

"I am a prefect, you know," Remus said as a greeting and Sirius jumped, looking up at his friend in alarm. Shortly after, however, the shocked looked dissolved just as quickly as it'd appeared and he grinned cheekily up at Remus.

"Jesus, I thought you were an actual prefect," Sirius joked, blowing out the smoke from his cigarette idly.

Remus' frown deepened and gave him a withered look. "What do you mean an _actual_ prefect?"

Sirius grunted and didn't answer. Instead, he scooted over and left a small amount of space for Remus behind the statue of the unsightly witch. Remus relented and flopped down next to Sirius, watching as the older boy smoked.

"Why are you out here, Padfoot?" Remus asked casually, ignoring the beating of his unsteady heart. It was always like that when he was alone with Sirius, which was a rarity in itself.

"Smoking," Sirius said bluntly. "Obviously."

"Very funny," Remus remarked snidely. "You know what I meant."

Sirius took a long drag before exhaling the curling smoke from between his lips. Remus was assaulted by the disgusting scent but made no comment. He was never truly partial to cigarettes himself, but it seemed to calm the black-haired boy considerably, which was always a good thing for everyone.

"Relaxing," he said logically. "No one ever comes down this hallway." Then he quickly amended, "Except for you, apparently."

"I got sidetracked," Remus admitted. He'd been daydreaming again. "Do you always come here?"

"Sometimes," Sirius said casually with a shrug of his shoulder. "Where were you? You disappeared after dinner."

Remus shrugged, also. "Library."

"On a Friday? My God, Moony, we've got to get you a bird," Sirius said, looking quite scandalized. He flicked his cigarette, reduced to ashes, away from him and it skidded across the long hallway. Remus clucked his tongue and gave Sirius a disapproving glance, happy for the excuse not to go further on the girl topic.

He extracted his wand from his robes and summoned the cigarette butt before muttering a quick, "_Evanesco_."

Sirius watched as the object disappeared and extracted another one from the package within his robes. With a flick of his own wand—releasing a small purple flame—the cigarette was lit and the blue smoke was curling towards the ceiling again. Both the boys watched it curl around the witch's stone head before disappearing into the castle air.

"That _is_ bad for you," Remus scolded.

"And how's that?" Sirius questioned, though he didn't look the least bit interested.

Remus tried to think of something that would cause distress for his egotistical, vain friend. "They'll make your teeth brown," he reasoned, appealing to Sirius' desire to look handsome, "and stain your fingers."

"Pfft," was his only reply. "I don't need you to lecture me."

"Someone's got to take care of you, you big lug," Remus said snidely, and sniffed. He tucked his wand back into his robes and sighed wistfully, looking off into the darkness of the hallway. Sirius said nothing, just busied himself with his cigarette.

After a long moment Sirius offered the pack to Remus and the said werewolf pulled a rather disapproving look. "No, Padfoot. Have you been listening to a word I've said?"

"No," Sirius said truthfully. "But you're only saying that crap because you haven't tried it."

"I have no intention of trying it," Remus agreed and pushed his friend's hand away, ignoring the flutter of his heart when his fingers brushed over the dark-haired boy's.

"All the birds think it's sexy, Moony," Sirius accused and waved his finger at Remus.

Remus' eyes narrowed. "I highly doubt that _all_ of them do. Besides, I have no interest in girls."

He looked away quickly when Sirius fixed him an odd look. The dark-haired boy shrugged and blew smoke in the opposite direction. Remus dared to glance back over his shoulder and watched Sirius' simple movements.

"Try one," Sirius spoke to the witch statue in front of him, blue smoke curling upwards. The smell was horrifying but Remus resisted the urge to gag at the mere thought of indulging in a forbidden item at Hogwarts.

"That goes completely against my morals," Remus snapped and refused to take the slim stick. Sirius shrugged.

"You're too prudish, Moony," Sirius joked, jabbing a finger into Remus' arm. Remus gave him a forewarning look but Sirius was hardly one to heed such a dark warning, especially from Remus, who he particularly enjoyed tormenting. "And don't feed me crap about morals and your prefect duty. If that were true, you'd actually take house points from us."

Remus knew that Sirius spoke the truth, but that didn't stop him from feeling slightly annoyed. It was true though, Remus rarely had the courage to say anything against Sirius and James. They were his friends, and he feared their judgments more than anyone else in the world.

"Five points from Gryffindor," Remus said hotly, being as defiant as he dared.

"Hey!" Sirius protested, but there was no malice in his voice. He grinned cheekily at his werewolf friend and clapped the frail boy on the back. "Why you…!"

Remus' annoyance melted away instantly with such a soft look in his friend's eyes. He felt his cheeks turn pink and turned away, blowing out air as if he'd actually taken a drag from the cigarette dangling between Sirius' fingertips.

"I'm surprised James isn't out here with you," Remus said, deciding that a change of subject was needed, lest he accidentally say something that needn't be said.

Sirius laughed acrimoniously. "Well, you know how Prongs is… with Lily, and all."

Remus instantly knew that his change of subject was a backfire. It was their seventh year, and Lily was finally giving James the attentions he'd so readily yearned for since second year. Undoubtedly, a man like Sirius, who'd always been by James' side and vice versa, was missing the presence of his best friend. Sirius was completely loyal to his friends, especially James.

Remus felt guilty instantly for bringing up such a sore spot in Sirius' life. Sirius had been James' best mate since the first time they'd stood on Platform Nine and Three Quarters. Obviously Sirius indulged in James' fantasies of finally going on a date with Lily, but now that he finally was going out with her, Remus could understand that Sirius was feeling empty and ditched.

Perhaps that explained the curling smoke.

"Don't get me wrong," Sirius said suddenly when Remus couldn't think of anything to break the awkward, uncomfortable silence. "I'm happy for the guy; he's my best mate, after all. I just…"

"Ah," Remus said, cutting his friend off when it became obvious Sirius was approaching a cliff he wasn't ready to jump off yet. He cleared his throat, searching for something to say to guide them away from such a sensitive subject. "It's late."

"Hm," Sirius said. His smoky eyes stared at the floor.

"I think you've had enough, Padfoot," Remus said skeptically as Sirius lit up a third cigarette.

"Nah," Sirius breathed in, his eyes closing in a temporary moment of bliss. The smell wafted by Remus' nose and he cringed. "I'm fine."

Remus plucked the cigarette from Sirius' mouth and ignored the boy's large outburst in protest. He reached for the cigarette but Remus leaned backwards, pulling his arm away from Sirius' grasp. The said Gryffindor could not be daunted, however, for he quickly reached over Remus to try and grab the small object back. His body smashed against Remus, and the werewolf laughed nervously as he rolled away, hiding the cigarette from Sirius' reach.

"You suck, Moony," Sirius barked, laughter in his voice as he pushed Remus to the ground and tried to reach out and grab his smoking stick.

"And you're a prat," Remus accused, speaking as best he could through his laughter. Sirius barked and made a swipe at the werewolf, who nimbly dodged.

Remus continued laughing and kicked the heavier boy off. Sirius grunted and rolled away and Remus scurried around to the other side of the atrocious witch statue.

"Who's there?" a voice barked and the two boys ceased their antics immediately. Remus turned a bewildered look towards Sirius.

Sirius cursed and fished in his pocket before extracting the invisibility cloak. Remus, dropping the cigarette, scrambled over to Sirius and nearly leapt into his arms as Sirius quickly covered them both in the cloak.

"Where did you get that?" Remus hissed in his ear.

"Borrowed it."

"You mean stole it," Remus amended and felt Sirius nod. He hoped James wouldn't notice that his best mate had stolen his precious invisibility cloak.

Under the cloak, Remus became increasingly aware of Sirius right next to him. He could smell the smoke on the boy, but also something that was distinctly Sirius. Remus was almost tempted to say he smelled like a dog, but knew that Sirius would take mock offence to such a thing and make a spectacle of himself over the matter.

Sirius was breathing heavily, out of breath from his attempts to reclaim his cigarette, which now smoked dully on the ground in the hallway. Remus could smell his breath, and silently decided that Sirius needed to brush his teeth more.

The caretaker wobbled out from behind the corner and looked around. Remus was struck by the sheer absurdity of the situation and started laughing hysterically. Sirius gave him a wild look before slamming his hand against Remus' mouth.

The caretaker swiveled his head around. "Who's there?"

"No one," Remus squeaked out stupidly. Thankfully, Sirius muffled his voice with his hand, but this still sent Remus into another frenzied fit of giggles.

Hearing nothing out the ordinary, but looking increasingly peeved, the man bent down and picked up the smoking cigarette butt.

"Someone's breaking curfew," he muttered to the cigarette. With that, be began hobbling away in the direction he thought the rouge student had disappeared to.

"Well, there goes that," Sirius said sadly under the cloak.

Remus giggled stupidly as the caretaker padded away, grumbling about students out after hours and litterbugs running afoot. Sirius pressed his hand against Remus' mouth as the said boy continued to laugh foolishly under the invisibility cloak.

"I hope you're happy, Moony," Sirius hissed, his hot breaths dangerously close to his ear.

The delicately questionable closeness made Remus still, his laughter dying in his throat. "Q-quite happy, actually."

"Arg," Sirius bemoaned the loss of his cigarette. "It took me forever to nick those things from Hogsmeade, too. Thanks a lot, Moony."

"You're welcome," Remus said, though he knew perfectly well that his friend was being sarcastic.

"Well, we might as well get back to the dorms. Prongs and Wormtail are probably worried about us," Sirius said slowly and stood up, tugging on Remus' arm to haul the lanky boy to his feet.

Remus tilted against Sirius, feeling the warmth beneath his cloak and feeling the wisps of black hair against his cheek. Sirius rolled his eyes and helped the boy walk down the hall.

---

For some reason after that eventful night, Remus found himself lingering longer than necessary in the library while working on his homework. He was used to the solitude of the library, and no one questioned the bookworm Lupin in the corner of the library. Remus would wait until the last student left the library near closing time before he'd get up from his table and retreat towards the rarely used hallway.

He'd meander down the hall until he saw Sirius' legs sticking out from behind the stone statue of the ugly witch, in which he'd promptly approach the boy and give him much needed company. For having company whilst smoking, in Sirius' own words, was always a friendly reminder that Remus could always bum free smokes.

Of course, Remus never took Sirius up on the offer. He'd sit with Sirius while the latter smoked, and Remus would scold him on smoking too much, and gently pluck his pack of cigarettes away. Remus, much to his own surprise, was growing tolerant of the smoke lingering on Sirius' hair and clothes. There was something about wizard cigarettes that weren't quite as bad as muggle ones—obviously it was the magic.

Remus would even dare say that he was starting to like the smells that lingered on Sirius.

They continued their nightly rendezvous every night, schedules and moon permitting. Sirius was always there when Remus arrived. Sometimes Sirius would smoke, while other times he wouldn't. Sometimes he'd offer one to Remus and other times he wouldn't. On those occasions when Sirius would offer, Remus was almost tempted to take the dark-haired boy up on the offer.

On one particular night, about two weeks after their first initial fiasco in the night, Remus watched the blue-grey smoke dancing in the stale air and humored the idea of just taking the cigarette from Sirius' mouth, taking a drag, and blowing it in Sirius' face, if only to be as defiant as he possibly could against the troublemaker.

As was custom, when Remus sat down Sirius offered him the pack of cigarettes. Seizing up the courage that supposedly put in him into Gryffindor in the first place, Remus reached out his hand and grasped Sirius' own.

Sirius looked up in surprise, not expecting Remus to actually take him up on the offer.

"Atta boy," he said, the first thing he'd said since Remus appeared that night.

Remus lifted his other hand and, while still holding Sirius' wrist possessively, went to open the cigarette case. But when he opened the package, Remus was surprised and extremely disappointed to see that it was, indeed, empty.

Sirius peered into it for the longest time, as if expecting a magical cigarette to appear out of thin air. Remus frowned.

"Ah well, that must be someone up there telling me not to," Remus said with a shrug.

Sirius was silent for a long moment before plucking the cigarette dangling in his mouth from his lips and offering it to Remus. Remus eyed it skeptically.

"We can share," Sirius said unnecessarily. He jerked his hand holding the cigarette and Remus continued to look at it.

Remus hesitantly reached out a hand and grasped the small, white stick and plucked it from Sirius' fingertips. The said boy grinned brightly as Remus stared down at the thing incredulously.

"I'm not sure," Remus said uneasily. Now that he had it, he wasn't sure if he wanted it.

Sirius waggled his eyebrows. "Come on."

Remus sighed and brought it to his lips. Hesitantly, he inhaled and almost immediately started coughing.

It was in that moment that Remus realized why the cigarette smelled so bad—it was because it tasted bad, too. Remus felt like he was dying.

Sirius roared with laughter, holding his stomach as Remus coughed and tired to bring filtered air back into his longs. He was dying, and the prat was doing nothing but laughing! Remus wheezed and choked for a second before he started getting a hang of himself. He pounded his balled fist against his chest and waved his other hand holding the cigarette around.

"You did it wrong," Sirius snickered.

"Bloody hell," Remus wheezed, lifting his head with water in his eyes. "How can you stand it, Padfoot?"

"It's an acquired taste, my friend," Sirius said remorsefully, with barely contained mirth in his sparkling slate eyes. Remus' own eyes narrowed. "You get used to it, let me tell you."

Remus breathed with difficulty but soon his breath returned to normal. That had certainly been an experience, but Remus hated to think that Sirius thought he was a coward for not being able to handle it. He eyed the cigarette in Sirius' mouth skeptically before sighing dramatically.

"I can't believe you like that," he mourned.

Sirius' eyes twinkled with mischief. "It just means I'm cooler than you, Moony."

Despite the truth of that statement—Sirius was rather popular, whereas Remus was the boy who followed after the two most popular boys—Remus gave his friend a rather withered glare. "That is most certainly not true," he protested. "Those things are terrible. And now I've got proof."

"Spoken like a true loser," Sirius teased. There was no cruelty in his statement, and Remus felt no anger from such an announcement.

Remus reached out a hand. "Give me that cigarette."

"Never!" Sirius declared loudly and turned away from his friend, sheltering the said cigarette.

Remus' lips curved into a slight smile despite himself and he inched closer, pushing his arm over Sirius' shoulder, causing him to press unnecessarily against Sirius' back for half a second.

"Give it here. I command you as a prefect," Remus declared, in a rather Sirius-like manner.

"Well then, my friend, I must decline," Sirius said valiantly, once again overshadowing Remus in the dramatics department, "for you are a prefect, and thus, evil."

A wrestling match began, much as it had the first night, where Remus attempted to steal the cigarette back and Sirius narrowly dodged escape. Sirius crashed into the stone witch at one point and, with stilled breath, the two watched as she tipped to the side dangerously, only to fall still again.

Sirius started laughing his barking laugh again as Remus scrambled after him around the statue, trying to catch up to him.

"Sirius!" Remus said, frustrated, "I'm serious here."

Sirius laughed again and the werewolf knew that, if not for Sirius' hysterical laughter, Padfoot would more than likely make some kind of comment about the pun in his name.

Just as Remus was sure this was going nowhere, however, Sirius paused and, breathing hard, fixed Remus with a cheeky grin. Remus' eyes narrowed before he leapt off the ground and tackled his friend to the ground.

They both laughed stupidly and released large 'oof's as they collided with the stone floor, Remus on top of Sirius.

"You bloody…" Sirius trailed off as he opened his eyes and looked at Remus. His breath died in his throat.

"What?" Remus asked and opened his own eyes, only to see Sirius' face only a small breath away from his own. Remus jerked his head up, out of reflex, only to realize that he was on top of Sirius.

"You're a bloody loser," Sirius said, only warmth in his voice. His satisfied slate eyes gazed up at Remus.

Remus' eyes widened as he stared down into Sirius' tender, sweet face. He smiled warmly up at Remus, who laid sprawled out over his body. Their noses were almost touching. Their eyes locked and Remus felt his cheeks turning pink.

Still grinning, Sirius lifted the cigarette Remus had tried so hard to obtain to his lips and took in a long drag. Remus watched him curiously, not willing to get off Sirius and feeling that Sirius not saying anything against it was a plus side.

Then Sirius blew smoke in his face and Remus started coughing. His eyes watered and his throat constricted before he coughed, rather loudly and purposefully, into Sirius' face.

"Ew," Sirius said loudly, wiggling a bit. "Moony, that's disgusting."

"You deserved it, you prat," Remus whispered, his throat hurting from the massive amounts of smoke. He was quite thankful when Sirius flicked the cigarette butt away and it rolled limply and almost innocently off to the side of the stone witch.

But that meant that they were still in the position from earlier. While the situation at hand wasn't the most ideal and romantic of situations, Remus had to admit that he didn't mind too much being pressed against Sirius so completely. But that didn't mean that Sirius liked it, too.

"Remus," Sirius said, opting to use the true name instead of a nickname.

It'd been a long time since Sirius had called him by his real name. The last time had been last year, after that prank, in which Sirius had tried to get forgiveness and Remus had not spoken to him for four months. They made up a little while after Christmastime. But there friendship had never been the same. Something had shifted, at least in Remus' humble opinion.

"Remus," Sirius said again, trying to draw the werewolf's attention again. The said prefect turned his head slightly, gauging Sirius' reaction to the situation.

He was giving Remus a soft, warm look again and Remus felt as if his face would never return to its natural color. Remus realized vaguely that this would be the perfect opportunity for Sirius to lift his head and kiss him. That idea wasn't an unpleasant one, either.

"Yes?" Remus murmured, not daring to lift his voice any higher, lest it squeaked and cracked as if he was thirteen again.

"You smell funny," Sirius said, rather unromantically.

Remus gave him a mystified look, but didn't pull away. Their noses were so close. All he had to do was lean forward and the distance would be bridged. Sirius wasn't pulling away, and there was no mischief in his eyes.

Remus' eyebrows furrowed. "That's your smell. You smell like smoke."

"So do you," Sirius accused. "It's the curse of being friends with a smoker."

"Ah," Remus agreed, his honey colored eyes dancing over Sirius' face, taking in every curve and angel of his handsome face.

"Close your eyes," Sirius commanded, his slate grey eyes staring up at Remus. Sirius lifted a hand idly and traced the scar running down his jaw line. Remus felt his eyes closing, despite himself.

Then he felt soft lips pressed against his own, a shadow of a kiss. A hesitant kiss. A kiss that was so unlike Sirius that Remus was floored for half a second before, hesitantly, his own lips moved against Sirius', seeking the reassurance both of them craved.

Silently, Sirius pulled away and the world was bathed in silence. No words passed between the two. Quietly, with his hands holding Remus softly, Sirius sat up and pressed Remus against the wall, his eyes searching through Remus' own, searching for something Remus couldn't see.

They paused for only half a second before their lips touched again. Sirius' lips moved over Remus' in an easy grace that Remus could never hope to obtain, a startling contrast to their first kiss. It seemed that he was hanging, suspended in air, for all eternity, never moving—always hanging in that one spot.

After what felt like an eternity, but could have very well been only a couple moments, Sirius pulled away from Remus, their lips only a fraction of an inch away from one another's.

"You taste like tobacco," Remus muttered against Sirius' lips. Sirius chuckled, in that way that he was often known to do. Remus frowned and his fingers breezed over Sirius' jaw line.

"So do you," Sirius shot back, only warmth in his voice.

Remus wrinkled his nose. "I wouldn't be expecting that next time."

"Next time?" Sirius whispered, his eyebrows lifting. Remus felt his heart die in his chest. Had he assumed too much? He gave Sirius a wild, fearful look, wondering if he'd just completely destroyed everything he held dear. As Remus' cheeks turned bright red, Sirius chuckled quietly and drew Remus' face in closer. "Yeah, next time."

Remus' heart soared and he delved into everything that was Sirius. The smell of tobacco melted away into nothingness.


	2. Easy

**Moon and Stars**

**Easy**  
_Theme: Taste_  
Summary: MWPP era, in which Sirius contemplates his actions, for hindsight isn't blind.  
Warning: Slash (obviously) and implied (very implied) sex.

---

Sirius lay in his bed in deep contemplation, unsure what to make of his current situation. There was no denying that he adored this delightfully peaceful contentment but at the same time he couldn't deny that he was feeling a strange turmoil of emotions whilst listening to the slow, regular sound of Remus' breathing. Sirius thanked the stars outside that Remus had fallen asleep so quickly, because he feared that when he awoke, Remus would want to talk about what happened. Sirius was not a talker, but Remus, ever the rationalist and logical one of their odd pair, always wanted to talk about _feelings_ and such things that Sirius had no knowledge in.

But then again, they hadn't talked about anything _before_ this happened, so maybe talking wasn't needed at all. Sirius prayed that was the case, because he wasn't sure if he could handle Remus taking Sirius' behavior as rejection. He just didn't like to talk about things like this. And that was that.

Sirius shifted further down in the bed, and turned onto his side as if that would make sleep come faster. Oh, how he wanted to sleep. He'd give anything to have some kind of sleeping spell on hand, but his brain was quite possibly exploded beyond repair. It'd mushroomed in a massive explosion before fizzling down to a warm goo. His body felt incredibly tired, but something in his mind—or what was left of it—kept on twirling around sleepily. It wasn't anything he'd really consider negative, but it was enough to keep him awake. And that aggravated him, because it was a crime against humanity when Sirius Black stayed up into the wee hours of the morning.

_'This should be scaring me shitless,' _he realized silently as he stared at the ceiling high above him. Remus sighed in his sleep and curled up a bit closer to Sirius. _'But I'm not afraid… at all.'_

Such a thought was baffling to Sirius. He'd just had sex with Remus, and there was a complete and total lack of any kind of regret, or shame, or fear inside him. No, instead, he felt this incredibly light feeling and almost liked the way his heart fluttered with the mere thought of Remus. It didn't feel weird in any way for Remus to be slumbering delicately next to him. Actually, it felt like he was meant to be there in Sirius' arms. And that, Sirius decided, was what made this entire situation so dangerous. It wasn't supposed to be so easy. Was it?

Remus recalled the night before—which felt like centuries ago. It felt like a dream, and Sirius never wanted to wake up from it. But, they shouldn't have simply started kissing each other like they had last night. Nothing that should have happened actually happened. There hadn't been any deeply meaningful looks. There hadn't been any stuttering and hesitantly planned confessions to one another, dripping with fear over whether or not the other person recuperated that affection. There hadn't been any awkward discussions about how such a sexual preference had come about. There hadn't been any fears of the werewolf sleeping inside Remus. There'd been nothing like that.

All that had happened, as best as Sirius could remember, was that they had put their parchments and quills aside for the night, then glanced at one another in order to say goodnight. It'd been like a blur—and Sirius and Remus seemed to lean into one another at the same time, as if kissing one of your best mates was a regular occurance after studying History of Magic. Everything that followed such a bold move flowered like they'd done it thousands of times before.

The tender, sleepy, happy feeling deepened as Sirius lazily recalled the night's events. His heart fluttered to life in his chest and he felt as if he were flying. If not for Remus' weight on his chest, Sirius was fairly certain that he would be soaring with the owls outside. It all felt so familiar and _wonderful_ that it was hard to remember specific details. At some point, their passionate kisses had turned into soft touches breezing over skin, and then he could hear Remus' gentle teasings and his own affectionately witty replies as they fumbled with getting their clothing out of the way. Then all conversant behavior seemed to fly out the window and their words melted away into tiny pleas and sighs. It'd just seemed the right and logical thing to do at the time. Sirius still felt it'd been the logical thing to do, really. But he was a teenaged boy ruled by his hormones.

Yet, things had gotten a bit awkward at that point, but that was only because of inexperience. Remus had been hesitant and unsure. Sirius had been self-conscious and complaisant. They'd learned together. They'd drifted together as if two puzzle pieces finally fitting perfectly. Once they figured out what felt _right_, their insecurities simply vanished into thin air.

Sirius felt a pang of regret. Despite it all, his first time with Remus should have been memorable, with every single brush of fingers against wanton skin, every shiver of passionate delight, and every moan and plea seared into his brain forever. But he feared that his brain had exploded after their first kiss and he was left a crumbling, hormonal sack of flesh. But Sirius wasn't the romantic type, and holding on to every single memory of the night before seemed so farfetched and implausible that he couldn't help but release the tiniest of throaty chuckles.

He arched his back again, stretching his arms out before wrapping one powerful arm protectively around Remus' frail, lanky frame. The said werewolf smiled in his sleep and drifted closer to Sirius.

_'But romance is overrated,'_ Sirius decided and licked his lips. He could taste Moony in his mouth and on his lips. He could taste the boy on his teeth. On his tongue. Everything was of Remus and he delighted in such a feeling. It tasted so wonderful—so perfect. This was what he'd always wanted, and he silently kicked himself for never truly realizing it himself until now. _'I have Moony, and that's all that matters.'_

He stared down at the slumbering werewolf and tightened his hold on the boy, running his fingertips up and down one of his scarred arms. His eyes softened and he smiled tenderly before pulling the covers up closer to the boy and touching his lips to Remus'.

He could taste Remus there and the smallest tang of himself. Oh yes, he had no regrets. He'd never have regrets.

And if and when Remus woke up, he'd be prepared to talk his heart out. He didn't care. As long as, at the end of the day, Remus was there tasting him and smiling at him, then everything was as it should be.

Perhaps, in the end, things really were that easy.


	3. Looking In

**Moon and Stars**

**Looking In**  
_Theme: Sight_  
Summary: MWPP era—in which James sees things that everyone else seems blind to.  
Warning: Mild slash

---

James was fairly certain that his friends believed him to be stupid. That was all that there was to it. Or, perhaps, they were the stupid ones for not realizing what he could plainly see. It was a difference between night and day, he reasoned, as he watched his two friends interact.

James Potter was egotistical, but he was mature enough to realize that in his sixth year at Hogwarts. Perhaps it was being a pureblood and being treated like a God on earth that lead to this narcissistic ego fest that he'd enjoyed for the past six years of his wizard schooling life. It may also be because of his lasting friendship with Sirius Black, who was nearly as bigheaded as he was.

But James was not stupid, even if Sirius and Remus thought he was.

Or, maybe they too were unsure of what was happening between them. It was subtle, at first, and James wasn't sure when he first became aware of it himself. But he couldn't help it when he saw them together.

Their eyes would flicker towards one another's faces before looking away, almost in that shy manner that Peter looked at his current crushes. But there was something deep and meaningful in those looks, something that he couldn't place.

He recognized such looks when he saw himself in the mirror one day after an almost successful outcome with Lily. His hazel eyes, framed by his large glasses, outlined every deep emotion swimming in his very soul—emotions he wasn't even aware of himself. He cared for Lily, and he dared say that Remus gave Sirius the same exact look.

There was something gentle about Remus. James and Sirius had a theory that Remus was so mild-mannered because it was the only thing he had true control over. He lost control once a month, and being able to reign in his emotions and impulses was his one way to maintain some level of sanity.

Remus was an admirable person, and James was glad that they'd somehow managed to become friends. Currently, the four of the marauders were sitting in the common room, working on their homework. Well, really, it was more of Peter struggling to do his homework, James procrastinating on his homework, Sirius don't absolutely nothing, and Remus working diligently and not bothering to continue any conversation directed at him.

"You'll wear yourself out, Moony," Sirius said gently, looking down at Remus fondly as he draped himself over the chair Remus sat on. The said werewolf grunted, showing that he'd heard Sirius' words, but didn't feel them good enough to grace with a response.

Sirius' eyes were soft, softer than James had ever seen them before. Sirius always had that look about him whenever he was talking to or discussing their werewolf friend.

Remus tapped his quill against his parchment and said to Sirius, with a tiny sigh, "I only have a couple inches left to write for this essay, Sirius, and I'd like to get it done as soon as possible. I don't hold the same capacity as you to stay up at all hours completing mediocre homework."

"I'll have you know that those so-called mediocre homework assignments mange to get passing marks, I thank you," Sirius said, and James could hear no malice or offence in his best friend's voice.

"We can't all be as amazing as you, Padfoot," Remus replied, finally lifting his head from where he was scribbling the benefits of using dragon skin gloves instead of the alternative whilst handling dangerous plants. He gave the dark-haired boy a warm smile and a soft look dancing in his golden eyes.

Sirius sighed, and James wasn't sure if he was being melodramatic or if such a sigh was that of wanton need while staring down at the light brown-haired boy with soft, golden eyes. His eyes glowed in the dying sunlight as the sun set behind the forbidden forest.

They seemed to be lost in their own world as they stared at one another, this tangible, undeniable presence between them. There was something there that neither of them could deny, and James reckoned that they weren't about to deny it, either.

Did they think him stupid though? Were they aware of those looks and casual touches? Were they aware of it themselves… this unmistakenable… something… that danced between them like a magical spell gone wonderfully right?

He occurred to him that, obviously, his two good friends were in love with one another. It also occurred to him that they were males—and he'd been well aware of such a fact since first year. He doubted that anyone could be so thick not to realize they were both boys. But somehow, that fact didn't matter. What did gender matter when those deep, meaningful looks penetrated his very soul—and he wasn't even the receiver or giver of such gazes?

Did they know they were in love… or were they dancing around one another in a continuing spiral, never truly meeting together, but contributing to the other's path?

He knew that Sirius was a dense bigheaded moron who wouldn't know Moony's affections if they tap-danced up to him and slapped him painfully in the face. Sirius was the type of person who acted first and then asked questions, and never truly read into other people unless the need was very important.

But Moony was reserved, and quiet. There was a high possibility that Remus knew of his own feelings towards James' best friend. There was also a high possibility that Remus would never act on such feelings as long as he was unaware of Sirius' inner musings.

In short, James reasoned, they were both idiots.

"You work too hard, Moony," Sirius berated, warm affection in his voice that the large boy didn't bother to mask—probably because, at this point, such a tone of voice was normal between the two teenaged boys.

"Someone's got to," Remus replied, giving Padfoot a gentle smile.

James watched them as their eyes met and flickered and hesitantly Sirius reached out and brushed aside a stray wisp of Remus' fringe. Suddenly, James felt like he was in a place he shouldn't be, a place where he was not welcomed.

He stood up, but neither Sirius nor Remus seemed to be aware of his presence anymore. He approached Peter, who was struggling over his transfiguration homework. He tapped his short friend on the shoulder and he squeaked, looking up at his hero.

"Let's go to the library, Peter," James suggested, smiling down at his friend. He glanced over at Remus and Sirius who were still dancing in their own little world, not caring about anyone else outside each other's eyes. "We can ask Lily for help on your homework."

Peter nodded, glancing over at Remus and Sirius without comprehension. He could not see what James saw. So James was the only one who could see. Figures.

"Come on," James urged and they left the common room, leaving Remus and Sirius in their little world and the spectacle-wearing boy prayed that someday, the two of them would open their eyes and see what was right in front of them.


	4. Roaring Engine

**Moon and Stars**

**Engine Roar  
**_Theme: Sound_  
Summary: In which Sirius makes Remus ride his motorcycle.

---

Remus sighed and placed a bookmark in his book. He'd reached the end of the chapter. He closed his eyes and almost imagined what his friends would sound like if they heard that he was reading a book during their summer vacation between sixth and seventh year.

"Hardly productive for a marauder," Remus murmured, mimicking James' voice to an octave. Of course, no one was around to admire Remus' parroting skills, so the boy soon lapsed into silence and discontinued his own train of thought in favor of a small nap beneath the large oak tree in his back yard.

Tucking his book off to the side, Remus rolled over onto his back and folded his arms behind his head, cushioning his head as he fell into a small cat nap. He deserved it; too, after the stressful week he'd spent.

Not only had it been an incredibly unforgiving moon, Sirius Black was disowned from his family. Remus remembered quite clearly the shock of receiving a frenzied note from Sirius about how he couldn't take any more of his family. Stunned, Remus had hastily written a reply. It was only a couple days ago that he learned that Sirius was safe and sound at the Potter's residence, just as Remus knew the boy would eventually end up.

But between Sirius' initial letter and the reassurance of his safety, Remus had been on edge. He'd concocted ludicrous images of Sirius being locked in a basement, tortured, or killed by his psychotic, inbred family. Then the full moon came, and the wolf had been unusually cruel—probably due to the absence of his three animal friends.

Things were better now, of course, and Remus was long awaiting the lovely relief and calm of a peaceful summer. There was nothing that could take away from his summer, and, for two blissful months, Remus would have nothing to worry about—for he'd completed his summer assignments and the moon wasn't for another three weeks—and he could just enjoy himself.

Of course, that tranquility was shattered a moment later. Remus popped open an eye as a strange sputtering noise pierced the warm summer silence. Remus sat up, propping himself by his elbows and peering out towards the dirt road down near the village—his home sat on a hill—but there was no loud vehicle sputtering its way down the road.

Confused, Remus concluded he'd imagined it and rolled over to return to sleep.

The sound came again and this time Remus knew he was not imagining it.

The sun was setting, and the sky was sprinkled with bright, vibrant colors of red, orange, and yellow. Despite the beauty of the scene, however, Remus' eyes were trained only on a black mass in the distance, followed by the loud sputtering noise of an engine.

"Remus!" a voice shouted and the werewolf knew who it was. He'd know that voice anywhere.

"Sirius!" Remus shouted, but doubted that the boy would hear him over the roar of his engine. Remus watched helplessly as Sirius descended from the sky, mounting a large black motorcycle.

The motorbike landed on the grass and the engine cut. Sirius rolled before coming to a stop. Placing a foot down, the young wizard removed his helmet, grinning like a fool. Remus stared at him stupidly, trying to register the fact that Sirius just appeared from the sky and on a motorcycle, no less.

"What the bloody hell are you doing here?" Remus demanded, his eyes wide.

Sirius, still grinning, merely chuckled. "Nice to see you, too, Moony."

Remus sighed and rubbed the back of his head. "Seriously, though, what _are_ you doing here? And what the hell is this?"

He gestured hopelessly towards the vehicle Sirius was now dismounting. Sirius swept his black bangs away from his eyes. Remus felt himself tense as he stared at his friend's handsome face.

"Jamsie and his parents are off to visit family. They invited me, but I didn't want to go around with the Potters and get nasty looks for being a Black," Sirius explained and shrugged his shoulders. He tucked his helmet under his arm and leaned forward, plopping his other arm around Remus' shoulders. "So you get the pleasure of my company for a few days."

"Thanks for the warning of your arrival, Padfoot!" Remus said, worried.

"Hey, you did say in your last letter that I could come to you if I ever needed something. Besides, I sent an owl, didn't you get it?" Sirius ruffled his friend's hair.

"No," Remus said and shoved the boy's hand away, laughing softly. "I didn't get one. But no matter. You can stay. You'll just have to sleep on the floor."

"There's a nice host, then, why can't you sleep on the floor?" Sirius protested. The sun setting behind him made his hair look incredibly silky. Remus wasn't sure where that observation came from.

"Because I have a bad back," Remus declared and grabbed Sirius' forearm. "Come on, we should go inside."

"Don't you want to marvel at my baby, instead?" Sirius asked, an absolute and unmasked amount of pride in his voice.

Remus rolled his head back towards his friend and released his arm. He crossed his arms over his chest.

"All right, Padfoot," Remus sighed. "What is your baby?"

"She is the most wonderful flying motorcycle in the history of flying motorcycles," Sirius declared happily.

"Where did you get her?"

"Well, obviously I made her," Sirius scoffed, as if the mere idea of buying a flying motorcycle was ridiculous. To Remus, the mere concept of a flying motorcycle was, itself, ludicrous. "This summer, before those people kicked me out."

"You weren't caught then?"

"Not until I left, with her roaring to life through the house and knocking down priceless Black artifacts," Sirius said proudly, looking quite pleased. He patted the handlebar of the motorcycle. "I've been working on her for the past two summers—whenever I could get the chance—and she works like a charm."

"She's a bit loud," Remus said uneasily, remembering the sound of the engine from earlier.

Sirius laughed. "That gives her charm, Moony, my uneducated friend."

"Ah," Remus said, inspecting the motorcycle. "And I take it the ministry hasn't caught on that you have something that has to be illegal in some way."

"Bah," Sirius laughed. "The ministry's got a pole stuck up its ass anyway. Besides, they have more pressing matters to attend to then to deal with a perfectly legal wizard running around with a flying vehicle."

"What if the muggles saw you?" Remus asked.

"Bah," Sirius said again. The boy never was one to be cautious.

"Well," Remus said after a long moment, "we should go inside."

"But don't you want to ride it?"

"We have some peach crumble," Remus said evasively, not wishing to admit to Sirius that he was afraid of the flying contraption. "Mum made it this morning. It's very good."

"Mooooony," Sirius whined. The sun was gone, and Remus could just make out Sirius' silhouette against the night sky. He could see Sirius' namesake high above them.

"I think I'd like some crumble," Remus decided and turned to leave.

Sirius grabbed his arm, and despite the darkness, the werewolf could see the boy grinning wickedly.

"You're not going anywhere," Sirius declared loudly. He started pulling Remus towards the flying bike. "You've got to try it at least once, Moony. Prongs thought it looked like a hoot."

"Thought?" Remus mimicked, sounding very unsure.

"Well, I wouldn't let him ride it," Sirius declared as he conjured up a new helmet. He held it out to Remus. "Come on, Moony."

"Why didn't you let James ride it, but you'll let me?" Remus asked skeptically. Sirius pushed the helmet into Remus' hands.

Sirius was quiet for a moment, a rare treat. "I don't have a good answer for that, Moony," he confessed after a long moment. He laughed, and it had a tiny ring of nervousness to it. "Just come on."

Remus felt himself hesitate, holding the helmet stupidly and looking at the flying motorcycle skeptically. He would much rather be inside eating some of his mother's peach crumble, but the Gods were being cruel to him today, and Remus just had to accept that.

"Just get over here, Moony," Sirius scoffed and gripped Remus' wrist effortlessly. He tugged the boy, and Remus obediently followed, letting Sirius pull him towards his seat. "Get on."

Remus bit his lip and looked out towards the sky, where stars were twinkling tenderly. His eyes drifted down to the village far below, where no one stirred. That didn't meant his was still dangerous, though. Finally, his eyes returned to Sirius and he swallowed a thick lump in his throat.

"Fine," Remus sighed in defeat and straddled the bike. He positioned himself behind Sirius and sat stupidly. "What do I do?"

"You'll see," Sirius laughed and suddenly the motorcycle's engine was roaring to life and Remus felt an insane amount of fear grip him.

The motorcycle started racing down the hill, almost resembling a normal, only slightly less dangerous muggle motorcycle, before suddenly the ground was far below them and they were soaring through the air.

Remus' first wild thought was that it was like being a bird, and then he was bitterly reminded that he was flying through the air on a very dangerous motorcycle with his very dangerous friend. The motorcycle sped up and Remus wrapped his arms around Sirius' waist in order to feel a bit more secure.

He could hear Sirius laughing and Remus' eyes furrowed. He felt completely uneasy.

"Padfoot!" Remus shouted over the roar of the engine. He could barely hear his own word and doubted that Sirius could hear him, either. "Padfoot, this is dangerous!"

Why had he agreed to get onto this ridiculous contraption, anyway? What had possessed Sirius to make a flying motorcycle in the first place?

He clutched Sirius tighter as the engine roared louder and Sirius popped the front wheel up as he rolled between the clouds. His nails dug into the soft leather of Sirius' jacket and he clenched his eyes shut, pressing himself tightly against Sirius, afraid to fall off the flying vehicle.

'_Oh, please Merlin, don't let anyone see us,'_ Remus thought to himself as they soared between clouds and over trees and darkened houses. Surely the entire world knew of their existence, if the loud sounds of the motorcycle were any indication.

He could hear Sirius laughing—with his ear pressed against Sirius' back he could hear the older boy laughing, breathing, and humming along with the loud thump of his engine. Sirius' laughter vibrated in his ears and Remus felt a strange peace befall him for half a second before he remembered exactly where he was.

"You've just got to trust me!" Sirius shouted so Remus could hear him. The wind whipped his hair away from his forehead, and his eyes were sparkling with that perpetual look of amusement. He grinned and Remus felt himself melt. Sirius lifted a hand and pushed the visor of his helmet down.

"I trust you," Remus murmured, but knew that Sirius would never hear him over the engine and the roaring wind. He snuggled closer to Sirius' back and listened to the sound of his heartbeat against his cheek. "Always."

They sped around the sky for what felt like a century, but far too short for Remus. The werewolf wasn't sure when the ride started to be more fun than scary. Perhaps it was the thrill of the ride and the company he kept that made the ride enjoyable. Remus felt a face-splitting grin overtake his lips and he felt deliriously happy as he held himself close to Sirius. He felt the motorcycle start to descend.

They landed and Remus never felt so relieved, yet sadly disappointed, to see land again. He was thankful to be back on the ground, but, at the same time, knew that he no longer had an excuse to sit so close to Sirius and wrap his arms around his waist to keep himself in place.

"All better there, Moony?" Sirius laughed as he dismounted his motorcycle and pulled off his helmet. He was still grinning like a loon and Remus couldn't help but return the sentiment. Yes, he felt magnificent, and Remus suspected it was because of Padfoot and not because of the motorcycle.

"Glad to be back on solid ground," Remus admitted as he removed his own helmet. Now that he was back on solid ground he realized just how much he enjoyed the feeling. "This is why I don't use brooms, either, Padfoot."

He felt wobbly when he stepped down onto the ground. Sirius steadied him by placing a strong hand on his shoulder and Remus sighed. He ran his fingers through his hair and massaged his head.

"It's good for you, mate," Sirius defended and clapped the scrawny boy on the back. Remus swayed for a moment but regained his balance. He felt strange to be back on the land, and his equilibrium was still a bit skewed.

"Indeed," Remus agreed, wishing he could still be pressed against Sirius and listening to the sound of his laughter.

"Come on, Moony," Sirius declared as he started strolling towards Remus' quaint home, "I think I'm going to take you up on that offer of peach crumble. I'm hungry."

Remus followed after his friend, listening to the sound of their footprints in the soft earth beneath them. He watched Sirius' back and smiled wider, feeling perfectly at peace.


	5. Goodbye

**Moon and Stars**

**Goodbye**  
_Theme:_ Touch  
Summary: In which Sirius says goodbye.

---

He tied the cloak off and tucked his wand inside his sleeve. He stared at the dirty mirror hanging in the hallway, studying his hollow face. There were bags under his eyes, for he hadn't slept in weeks. His skin was a pasty white color, for he'd felt sick for days. There was no smile in his eyes, for he'd felt solemn for hours.

"Are you leaving?" a tiny voice spoke behind him and Sirius turned towards the source of such a pathetic sound.

Remus stood in the doorway of the bedroom. He looked like he was struggling to say something more, for Remus was always smarter than was strictly necessary. He could see the emotions dancing in Sirius' eyes.

Sirius didn't move from his spot, looking at Remus, pretending that everything was okay and the sun was shining outside. But it was really raining. And everything was no okay. He had a bad feeling. He had a terrible feeling. He had to get to Peter. He had to get to James and Lily.

"Are you leaving?" Remus said again.

_Are you leaving me?_

Remus didn't have to say the last word for Sirius to understand that was what the young wizard was asking. His golden eyes watched Sirius' every move and Sirius swallowed thickly, tracing every angle of Remus' face with his eyes. Why did everything have to be like this? Why was the feeling twisting in his gut not leaving him be?

There was no way Remus could be the traitor. But how could it be anyone else? He didn't want to think that Remus, beautiful, gentle, kind Remus was the traitor for the Dark Lord. It was impossible for such a lovely and wonderful man to be so two-faced. But, even Dumbledore thought so.

A shadow fell over the apartment as rain splattered against the windows. It was strange weather for July, but everything in this world was strange. Sirius' heart throbbed and he started down at his large, heavy boots. He'd tracked dirt in the last time he'd worn them. Now, he was leaving.

_Are you leaving me?_

"I'm sorry," Sirius said at last, not raising his head to look at Remus but knowing what kind of face the man was probably making.

He could hear Remus walking forward before he felt him. Remus' pale hands traced along his broad shoulder and Sirius stilled, tilting his head to look at Remus.

Remus looked like him. There were bags under his eyes. His skin was a sickly white. His eyes were churning with his turmoil of emotions. Was Remus the traitor? He didn't want to believe it.

Sirius reached up a hand and cupped Remus' cheek. Why did it feel like it would be the last time he'd ever touch him?

There was an unspoken sentence hanging in the air. They both knew that Sirius was off to do something severe. They both knew that this was not a quick run down to the store, sealed with a tiny goodbye kiss and a casual wave. No, this was something that would shift their entire world.

"Be safe," Remus murmured, leaning into Sirius' touch and closing his eyes.

Sirius felt his heart throb sadly and he traced his fingers along Remus' jaw. He had to get away. He didn't want to believe Remus was the traitor.

"I have to go," Sirius murmured and his lips were close to Remus'. "I need to talk with James."

"You should stay here," Remus begged. "You're the secret keeper."

"I know," Sirius said mysteriously and looked away from Remus. The said werewolf looked at him earnestly. He didn't known he'd switched with Peter. "But I need to talk to him."

"It's dangerous. _He_'s looking for you," Remus whispered fearfully, his golden eyes wide. How could he be the traitor?

He had to find Peter. Peter was not safe. What had he been thinking telling James to make weak, little Peter the secret keeper? He was a fearful and scared boy, and he needed to protect his little friend. Sirius had been foolish to turn the secret over to Peter, who would not be able to put up a fight should the Dark Lord find him.

"I need to go," Sirius said and ran his fingers over Remus' ear. "I'm sorry."

"Sirius…"

"Goodbye," Sirius said, and kissed Remus' forehead. He pulled away from the wizard and retreated to the door. He turned the doorknob and walked out. He glanced over his shoulder and looked at the heartbroken look in Remus' eyes.

He smiled sadly at the boy.

He wished he could touch him one last time. Why did it feel like he was never coming back?

"Sirius…"

"Goodbye," Sirius said again before Remus could finish his sentence. It was better left unsaid.

He shut the door.


End file.
